President Obama To Award Medal Of Honor Monday

President Obama honors courage on the battlefield Monday by awarding the Medal of Honor.

Clinton Romesha, a former active duty Army staff sergeant, is being honored for gallantry during a 13-hour firefight in Afghanistan on Oct. 3, 2009.

Romesha "will be the fourth living recipient to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan," the White House said. "He and his family will join the President at the White House to commemorate his example of selfless service."

Obama will also continue preparations for Tuesday night's State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress.

Romesha, the Medal of Honor recipient, is expected to be a guest of first lady Michelle Obama at the State of the Union speech, reports CNN.

CNN's Jake Tapper, who chronicled Romesha in his book The Outpost, writes:

"A native Californian who currently lives with his wife and three children in Minot, North Dakota, Romesha is being honored for his valorous actions on October 3, 2009, when he and 52 other U.S. soldiers with Black Knight Troop, 3-61 CAV, were attacked at Combat Outpost Keating by up to 400 Taliban fighters.

"Eight Americans soldiers were killed in the battle, making it the deadliest day for the U.S. in the war that year, but Romesha was one of those who led the charge to take the camp back, at repeated risk to his own life.

"After more than 12 hours of fighting, the U.S. forces at the camp - because of air support and brave troops -- were ultimately able to push the Taliban fighters back. Within days, the U.S. abandoned and bombed the outpost. A later Pentagon investigation concluded that the camp had no strategic or tactical value."